IL-10 (Interleukin 10)

Biology and Diseases

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with both stimulatory and suppressive effects on the immune system. The protein originates from several cell lines, including Th2 cells, mast cells, macrophages, monocytes and B-cells. Its main functions are to impede inflammatory responses and to inhibit synthesis of other pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-2, IL-3, GM-CSF, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Besides its anti-inflammatory capabilities, IL-10 also regulates the production of natural killer cells and lymphocytes. Due to its multiple roles, proper function of IL-10 is required to maintain a healthy immune system. Improper function of IL-10 can result in disease development, as over-expression of IL-10 has been linked to lymphoma, whereas IL-10 deficiency has implications for psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.

Therapies

The importance of IL-10 in the regulation of innate immunity makes it a prime candidate for therapeutic development. Animal studies that use recombinant human IL-10 to treat atherosclerosis have generated promising results, prompting further investigation into the cytokine’s clinical utility. Ongoing clinical trials are examining the use of a recombinant human IL-10 for treating inflammatory disorders such as gastric cancer and Crohn’s disease, and as a therapy for viral infections such as chronic hepatitis C and HIV.

Unmet Need

Despite successful antipsoriatic effects with IL-10, clinical results for treatment of other disorders have been unsatisfactory. Therefore, improved therapeutic methods with greater efficacy will continue to be the focus of pharmaceutical development. In order for IL-10 to be a useful biomarker for inflammatory and immunodeficiency disorders, it is essential to have a high sensitivity assay that can establish IL-10 concentrations in both healthy and diseased subjects. Furthermore, a broad detection range will be useful when measuring IL-10 responses across a broad range of dosing studies.

Singulex Answer

Singulex’s IL-10 assay, optimized for use on the Erenna System, can accurately quantify baseline and abnormally elevated IL-10 concentrations in plasma. Superior assay sensitivity enables detection of small, discreet concentration changes during disease development or following therapy. The Singulex IL-10 assay has an LLoQ of 1.6 pg/mL and a reading range of 0.46-2000 pg/mL. This will significantly improve the efficiency of clinical trials, especially when evaluating the effectiveness of IL-10 therapeutic compounds. This assay will allow investigators to:

1. Measure the efficacy and dosing of therapeutics designed to modulate the concentrations of IL-10, particularly in treating inflammatory and immunodeficiency disorders.

2. Design robust clinical and preclinical studies when IL-10 concentration is used as a therapeutic endpoint.

3. Understand how IL-10 concentrations change in patients as they transition from a healthy to diseased state.

Application Note

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